Sunday, December 16, 2007

The “Bali roadmap” refers to a decision by COP 13 and a series of COP/MOP 3 decisions that are designed to give direction and shape to a two-year negotiating process to finalize a post-2012 regime by COP 15 and COP/MOP 5 in December 2009. In the words of COP President Rachmat Witoelar, the roadmap has “several tracks and numerous milestones.”

Under the Convention, the COP launched “a comprehensive process to enable the full, effective and sustained implementation of the Convention through long-term cooperative action, now, up to and beyond 2012, in order to adopt a decision at COP 15.” To achieve this, the COP decided to establish an Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-Term Cooperative Action that will complete its work in 2009, and will hold its first session no later than April 2008.

It's a good step. The US yielded a bit, but keep in mind that their agreement is basically to seek GHG emissions reductions. It's a matter of yielding from what was formerly an intransigent, absolutist position. On the other hand, developing nations have also yielded a bit on their claims that the industrialized countries responsible for the vast bulk of emissions should take on most if not all of the responsibility for reductions. It's something, and the beginning of the post-2012 post-Kyoto treaty. The real work will be done between now and the meetings in Copenhagen in two years.